In and Out of Love
by Charmian
Summary: Companion to When Love and Hate Collide Mush's old girlfriend is back. He claims to have changed his ways, but is he just lying?
1. Long Time No See

I don't own Newsies.... But I do own Trouble and Jameson.

This is dedicated to Ally... my fellow loser.

Mush glanced sideways at Trouble. Long time no see. Boy had she gotten pretty. Last time he saw her they were both just south of four and a half feet. Time sure does fly. Her used to be dirty blonde hair was now pure blonde. Must be from all the sun beating on her head all day long. Her hazel eyes hadn't changed much. She had only grown a foot. Although Mush hadn't grown much more than that. A whole two years had gone by and Trouble had managed to become even more beautiful than when she left.

Mush winced every time someone mentioned the day Trouble left. It had been his fault. Jameson, Jack's girlfriend, as of two months ago, and one of his very best friends, tried to tell him it wasn't his fault. But everyone knew it was. It was midsummer. The year was 1887. Mush was out on a date with Trouble. Everything was perfect. It was their one-year anniversary. Actually, they hadn't gone steady for a whole year. They kept falling in and out of love. Anyways, in walks this girl all huffy, obviously something was wrong. She walked right up to Mush and started yelling at him that he had better start helping her with their son or she'd have him killed. Mush, horrified sat there and stared, dumfounded. Trouble on the other hand got up from their table and left so fast Mush didn't have any time to react to either woman. Kid, Jack, Racetrack, and Jameson had been nearby and witnessed the whole thing. They tried to console him. Then, when they realized Trouble wasn't coming back to the table they went out to look for her. No one could find her. Actually, Jack and Jamie found her. But they swore they wouldn't tell a soul where she was going and would keep in touch. Mush was absolutely devastated. And then, come to find out, it wasn't even his kid. It was some kid from Queen's child. Mush swore he would never date another woman after he knew Trouble was gone for good. And he upheld his promise.

And now, two years to the day later, here he is, sitting at a table, at Irving Hall, with Trouble. He hadn't explained what was going on the night she left, but he had some idea that Jameson had done that for him. But he could tell that she was interested in him again. Mush had been out of the dating game for quite some time. Actually he had been quite clean. As Racetrack put it "Jamie's taken over your position as being the one who's got someone in their bed every night. Although it does always seem to be the same person as where you had a different person every night. I think that Jack should just stop paying for a bunk. I mean he does always wind up in Jamie's anyway." At that point Jamie clamped a hand over his mouth. Mush had also stopped drinking and smoking. And now, after two years of abstaining from sex, he was getting antsy. But he didn't want to risk getting back together with Trouble.

Mush contemplated all of this while Trouble droned on about life down in Boston. Just then, as if Jameson, who was always nearby, sensed Mush was troubled, she popped over and asked Mush if she could have a word for a moment. As the two walked to the back of the hall, Jack slid into Mush's' seat to chat with Trouble. Mush snickered as he thought about how Jamie and Jack always worked together to save everybody's ass. "What's going on?" Jamie demanded. "I want to get back together, but I got that itch. And I can't very well try to seduce her now! It's out first date in two years. I want to do this right. I don't want her to slip through my fingers again." Mush explained with a sigh. Jamie thought for a moment. For once she had a lack of ideas. "I'll have a chat with Jack and Race and see what we come up with. That's the best I can offer at the moment. Just don't do anything stupid." Jameson advised. She sauntered back and dragged Jack away from Trouble by the bandana around his neck.

Mush walked back a moment later and continued to talk with Trouble. And he did as Jameson told him. So he stopped worrying about everything and enjoyed just sitting there, shooting the breeze with Trouble. Across the room Jameson and Jack had begun to think of a plan to help Mush, but never finished it. Spot had burst in to tell them that Dave was beaten up two alleys over and he needed some help. Mush would have to fend for himself. Good thing he didn't know it.


	2. Jacked

Two hours later Mush and Trouble sat in complete silence. They had talked themselves to death. Mush didn't know what to do. He was panicking. Where the hell was Jamie! He didn't know what to do with Trouble any more. Making a move on her might be pleasurable enough but would everything be all right in the morning? Mush didn't want to risk it. So he said the only thing he could think of: "So."

Trouble raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and laughed. Mush turned a deep shade of red. Much to Mush's relief Racetrack came running over to their table.

"Sorry to interrupt your, uh, dinner here. But, ah, Dave got beat up real bad before. Jamie and Jacky found him in the alley next door. So, ah, we kind of need some help with him back at the Lodging House. Ah, actually, we just need some muscles, seeing as no one else is as, ah, jacked as you are. Mush I mean. Not you Troub. I mean, I'm sure you're, ah, jacked, maybe, or, ah, I don't know, but, ah, you know." Now it was Race's turn to blush. Trouble laughed a little as she assured him she understood.

"Gee sorry about this Trouble. You want to come back with us to the Lodging House? I mean you must be staying there? Unless you have somewhere else?" Mush asked awkwardly. This was a first for Mush. He was never awkward, especially around girls.

"Did you just say 'Gee'?" Racetrack asked, in hysterics. Mush shot him a look that could kill. Racetrack immediately stifled his laughter.

"Yeah sure, I mean I was planning on staying there. I already talked to Jamie about it." Trouble assured Mush.

"Well come on, get the lead out of your pants. Dave's just on the stairs, waiting for your assistance." Racetrack ordered and started to leave. He was followed by Mush and Trouble, who were walking arm in arm.


	3. The Hutch

Racetrack flung open the Lodging House door to find David's bloody body still sprawled on the stairs. Mush shook his head and thought about how no one in the house had the courtesy enough to clean him up a bit. Unfortunately for Mush, he didn't notice that Racetrack had stopped walking. Mush slammed into Racetrack

"What the hell," was all Mush could say before Racetrack clamped a hand on his mouth. Race pointed around the corner and snickered softly. Trouble raised a confused eyebrow and sighed. Mush quietly tiptoed to the corner to peek at what Race had found so amusing. What Mush saw made him burst out laughing uncontrollably. Jamie's slender figure was pinned against the wall by Jack's body. Jamie appeared to be yelling at Jack in her "indoor" voice. Jack looked distressed. He had his pants half down and Jamie's shirt around his neck.

He was also unable to move because the hutch in the hallway must have fallen almost crushing them. The top of the hutch rested inches above Jamie's head on the wall while the base was still at its original location a few feet across the hallway. Jack's shirt had a few slashes on the back, obviously from the glass that had shattered. Jamie seemed scratch-free except for the gash across her left leg.

"Racetrack!" Jamie yelled when she realized that someone was laughing in the other room.

"Yeah?' Racetrack called back. He immediately winced. That had been the wrong answer. He glanced at Mush who was doubled over and then at Trouble who was horrified. Racetrack wasn't sure if she was shocked from the destruction of the hutch or from Jack standing there in his underwear.

"Racetrack Higgins. Obviously you saw that the hutch had fallen over at a most inconvenient time. I do not find this funny. Neither does Jack. Right?" Jamie asked Jack sternly

"Uh, right." Jack answered meekly. Best to stay on Jamie's good side.

"Why are you still in the other room. I obviously called you so you could come get me out of this fucking predicament!" Jamie yelled. Mush snickered. He knew that Racetrack didn't know what predicament meant. Hell he didn't even know. But Jamie seemed to have an unusually large vocabulary.

"Oh, uh, sorry." Racetrack answered as humbly as he could muster. He, followed by Mush and Trouble, entered the hallway to help their friends.

"So, ah, how'd this happen?" Mush asked innocently. Jamie glared at Jack for a moment before answering.

"Well. We threw David on the stairs with the last ounce of strength we had left. That boy sure does eat a lot or something. And then, uh, well things got a little heavy." At this point Racetrack snickered a little, which got him a dirty look from Trouble.

"And we headed for the stairs. But it was kind of obviously we weren't going to make it up them. And so Jack threw me up against the wall." Mush couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. So he just let it out. Jamie managed to untangle her hand from Jack's enough to throw Mush her middle finger without skipping a beat.

"Well when he did it shook the whole house. So the whole hutch comes flying at us. I jumped off Jack and he pushed me against the wall like, just in the nick of time. The glass that was in there wasn't exactly sturdy. It all came out and crashed on Jacky." Jamie had finally finished her story just as Racetrack, Mush and Trouble, got the hutch back on the right side of the hallway.

"Thanks guys." Jack smiled gratefully. Jamie and Jack redressed themselves quickly while the others went back to where Dave was.

"How long were you like that?" Trouble asked in a shocked tone of voice. Jamie's green eyes flashed a smile as she looked at Jack's pants. His eyes narrowed when he noticed she was silently mocking him.

"Probably forty-five minutes. But enough about that. How was your dinner!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Pretty good. Lacking in one department though." Trouble told Jamie as Jack and Mush carried David up the stairs, with Racetrack who was pretending to help.

"Jacky, come to the kitchen. Let Racey carry David. We have to clean you up." Jamie yelled up the stairs. She heard some grumbling form Racetrack, a loud thud, followed by laughter. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we'll chat about this, department, in the kitchen." Jamie assured Trouble.


	4. Making Up

"Something's different about him. I can't place it. It's like he doesn't want to screw up. Or screw period. I don't-" Trouble was cut of mid sentence by Jack's "JESUS CHRIST JAMESON!" Trouble bit her lip to keep from laughing. Jamie assured Jack that the glass needed to be ripped out of his back and that there were only a few more pieces and then all she had to do was use iodine to clean out the cuts and he would be just fine.  
  
"Go on Troub. Don't mind the baby over there leaning against the sink. The man who pretends to be some big tough guy but then freaks out when I rip a fucking shard of glass from his back!" Jamie glared at Jack. Trouble didn't dare to go on knowing that Jack would only interrupt her. And sure enough, he did speak up.  
  
"Why do you always have to do this Jameson. Why. Why are you always so fucking sarcastic. You act like I wanted the glass in my back! Would you rather me have jumped out of the way and let it cut you. How would you have liked that!" At this point Jamie was crying, and Trouble couldn't think of anything to say. So she stood there, mouth agape, staring at the both of them.  
  
"I'm s-s-sorry Ja-Ja-Jaaackk!" Jamie managed to say in between sobs. Jack moved across the room to hug Jamie, stroking her hair.  
  
"No don't be. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I don't mind the cuts. I just don't want you hurt. Don't cry. Please." Jack pleaded. Jamie sniffled and nodded.  
  
"I love you Cowboy." Jameson gave Jack a watery smile.  
  
"I love you too." He replied moving back over to the sink.  
  
"Sorry about that Trouble. Go on." Jamie apologized and picked out the remaining shards.  
  
"Well, I can't figure out for the life of me what's wrong. I don't entirely mind the fact that he isn't trying to get me into bed. But the whole lack of contact, lack of like, kissing thing bothers me. It's so un-Mush-like. I don't get it. I mean does he want to be just friends or is he just unsure of where he stands? Or is he being non-committal?" Trouble glanced at Jameson as she poured some iodine on Jack's cuts. Jack gripped the sink so hard that his knuckles turned white, but he didn't let out one yelp of pain. Jamie turned to face Trouble and gave her a puzzled look.  
  
"That is strange. I wonder why he isn't making any advances. Actually, since you've left he hasn't touched another woman. Honest. I wonder if he's turned gay." Jamie pondered. Trouble's eyebrows shot straight for the sky. They both looked at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing.  
  
"Well if the two of you really want to know what's going on with him I'll tell you." Jack offered. Jamie shot him a look of disbelief but said nothing. She kissed the top of his head and sat down.  
  
"Lecture us Cowboy." Jamie offered. Jack smiled and winked at Trouble.   
  
"It's like this. Mush really likes you. Loves you even. And as much as he wants to rip the clothes from your body, he won't. Because he doesn't want to screw things up with you. He doesn't want you to run away like last time. And maybe that is a good idea. For now. You know? Like I'm not saying no kissing or snuggling or whatever it is you do. But just no sex maybe? For a while at least and see if what you have is more than just physical attraction. You two with me?" Jack asked. Trouble nodded but Jamie had a glazed over look in her eyes. Trouble furrowed her eyebrows at Jack. What the hell was wrong with Jamie.  
  
"Jamie?" Trouble asked and waved her hand in front of her face. Jamie snapped to life.  
  
"Huh?" Jamie asked stunned.  
  
"Did you hear any of what I said?" Jack asked. Jamie shook her head and laughed.  
  
"You lost me after something about clothes ripping. I got distracted." Jamie smiled at Jack and licked her lips.  
  
"Oh knock it off. Trouble does that help you?" Jack asked. Trouble nodded and smiled in relief.  
  
"You should go talk to him. He's upstairs." Jamie offered. Trouble nodded again. At least someone understood what was going on in Mush's head! It was so hard to understand him. Sometimes it was as if he didn't want anyone to understand him so he'd throw you a curve ball. Like tonight. Trouble shook the thoughts from her head so she could thank Jack and Jamie.  
  
"Thanks guys. It means a lot to me. I really like him a lot, maybe I love him. I'm not sure. But I'm going to go sort this out with him right now." Trouble said but apparently wasn't heard. Jamie had moved from her chair onto Jack's lap. And from the looks of it, they were both making up for yelling at each other earlier. Trouble sighed and got up from the table. Time to find Mush!


	5. Understanding

Mush jumped out of his skin when he heard the window of the bunkroom slam. He had been so lost in thought he hadn't heard it creak open. He did however hear the footsteps on the fire escape. Whoever it was, they would be on the roof soon. He took one last look at the starry skyline before turning to face whoever was approaching.

"Heya Mush." Trouble whispered. Mush smiled back meekly, unsure of what to say or do. So he sat down, dangling his feet over the edge. Trouble plopped down next to him. They sat there in silence for a while lost in their own thoughts.

Mush looked at Trouble for a moment. She was so pretty. Her blonde hair, tanned skin, hazel eyes, flawless complexion, full lips, everything about her was perfect. Suddenly Mush couldn't help himself. He kissed her. When they parted Trouble gazed at him and smiled.

"Trouble I'm-"Mush started but was stopped by Trouble's finger on his lips.

"I think I understand." Trouble whispered. When Mush didn't say anything she continued.

"You don't want to rush into sex again because you're afraid we'll fall apart like last time. And I agree. Let's just have a sex-free relationship, just to make sure what we have isn't purely physical." Mush smiled.

"How'd you know?" Mush asked a tad baffled.

"Well I talked with Jack and Jamie and what they said made sense. So I assumed that they were right. And they were." Trouble told him.

"Now that that's settled there's something I have been dieing to do all night." Mush informed her before taking her into his arms.

"I'm sorry about before Mush. I over-reacted and I'm-"But before Trouble could finish Mush kissed her again.


End file.
